Your favorite heater?

[Tom Toro]

After replacing my T5's with LED's and replacing my acrylic tank with glass, I have a need for heat. I had a finnex 800w controlled by my rkl. It shorted out. Who knows how long it's been dead since I haven't really needed it, but it's only a year old.

What do you guys use for heat in your bigger tanks, controlled by a controller?

[binford4000]

I use finnex titanium s also Tom. I run one 800 watt main and a 500watt back up. One is controlled by the Apex and the back up is controlled by the finnex 810 controller

[MizTanks]

I've had my Finnex titanium 300w for 10yrs. Excellent heater!

[Tom Toro]

Maybe I had a bad one or something and I should give it another try. I was using visitherm glass and stealths and they were shorting out like crazy and got shocked a couple of times too. I was hoping you guys knew of another one I could try.

[MizTanks]

Holy crap, u use a 300w on a 26g? I use two on my 180 w/ total around 250g... and a 50w on my 14g.... and I have them all controlled by my controllers which is the only way I would even use a heater lol

Yeah well it was from my 75g and couldn't see it going to waste :)

[MizTanks]

Be careful, if that thing sticks in the on position it wont take long til your tank is hot! I have 2 300w's in my sump which is 100g (about 70g of actual water), and if I shut off my return pump the pair would heat the sump to 80 within a couple hours (I keep my temp probe in the tank).

Thanks Chort I will. I've got the actual heater in my fugue in a high flow area and the temp prob in the DT. The controller is mounted on the side of the stand.

[ghrorick]

Maybe I had a bad one or something and I should give it another try. I was using visitherm glass and stealths and they were shorting out like crazy and got shocked a couple of times too. I was hoping you guys knew of another one I could try.


stealths were recalled. I sent mine back and got them replaced with visitherms which have not held up well, lost 2 of the 4 already. I have jager and titanium heaters. The titanium ones I have had for years and the only one that broke did so because the undulated trigger I had at the time ate the end off of the sensor.

[Flynnstone]

i have 2 200w heaters in my 180 set at 80, but my Apex shuts them off at 78. i am glad that they are set up this way, because my Apex recently failed and the heaters were not shutting off. i lost a few things, but it could have been my whole tank. i had to send my 2 year old controller back in to get repaired.
the contacts in the heaters that turn them on get contaminated, then they arc and can get fused together causing constant contact. like stated above, its always best to use a second controller. the controller is far more cheaper than replacing the contents of your tank.

[pjr]

I got a check for my one Stealth right from the company. They must have lost millions on that recall. They sent a BIG check to someone I know for killing all their livestock due to a Stealth failure.

The Jagers have always worked great for me.

[ghrorick]

Wish I would have taken the refund, I had the old visatherms and they worked good, so I took those in place of the stealth. Not a good choice. Had 2 in my sump and noticed the temp dropped. One was warm to the touch, the other not so much, but the light was on. Replaced it and was good to go. Couple of months later the other went out the same way, would not warm up. Not sure if fish sickles or boiled fish is better, but I got lucky that the temp alarm let me know and the temp never got below 75.